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LANCE HORNBY, QMI Agency

Apr 3, 2013

, Last Updated: 9:45 PM ET

TORONTO - The Maple Leafs finally can take their 2013 team picture, now that they’ve added another tall kid to the back row.

Ryan O’Byrne, who once played for the arch-rival Montreal Canadiens, fits the team’s rock-em, sock-em style, but just because he’s a Randy Carlyle type player, it doesn’t automatically mean he’ll play for Carlyle right away.

“He’ll be one of eight defencemen,” said general manager Dave Nonis, who parted with a 2014 fourth-rounder to get the 6-foot-5, 234 pounder from the Avalanche. “He’s a depth player. We felt we needed that.”

Nonis said where the 28-year-old fits in is up to the coaches, but there should be a place for him, especially with clubs such as Thursday’s opponent, the Philadelphia Flyers, always carrying big forwards. Lack of reserve stay-at-home defencemen (Korbinian Holzer and Mike Komisarek) prompted the trade as the Leafs eye a potential playoff berth. Offensive-minded Jake Gardiner was the healthy scratch on the blue line before the Leafs took a four-day schedule break, but Mike Kostka might have the hardest time getting back in if O’Byrne makes an impression in coming days.